Greg Hands welcomes Conservatives’ Schools Funding Commitment

Theresa May has made the following commitment in the Conservative Party’s General Election Manifesto: “We will increase the overall schools budget by £4 billion by 2022, representing more than a real terms increase for every year of the parliament… [and] we will make sure that no school has its budget cut as a result of the new formula.”

In spite of a long campaign of scaremongering from Labour-backed groups, the Conservatives in Government have protected the core schools budget in real terms since 2010. The current funding system, however, was introduced more than ten years ago, and the Conservatives are committed to making school funding fairer by providing schools with the funding that they actually need now.

Some parents and teachers from Chelsea & Fulham wrote to Greg Hands, their Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, before the General Election to express their concerns that their schools might lose funding. Greg represented their concerns to the Department for Education as part of its consultation on the proposed Schools National Funding Formula. Greg received a helpful response from the Department, and he is now grateful for the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitment.

But, as important as funding, are school standards and attainment. Nine out of ten schools across England are now rated good or outstanding by Ofsted. Locally, there has been significant investment in new primary, and particularly secondary schools. Since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, in our two boroughs FIVE new secondary schools have opened: the West London Free School, the Fulham Boys School (where I am a patron), the Chelsea Academy, the Hammersmith Academy and the Kensington Aldridge Academy.

The Conservatives can be proud of our reforms to education – including free schools and academies here in Chelsea & Fulham, as well as a rigorous curriculum – which are giving millions of children a better start in life than they could have expected a decade ago. The Conservatives seek to strengthen the teaching of literacy and numeracy in the early years, so that all pupils may have the best possible start in life.

Commenting on the Conservatives’ ongoing commitment to education, Greg Hands said: “I am really pleased that the Conservative manifesto has made the commitment to school funding, with an extra £4billion by 2022, and with no school having its budget cut as a result of the new funding formula.

“We can be proud of our reforms to education – including free schools and academies here in Chelsea & Fulham, as well as a rigorous curriculum – which are giving millions of children a better start in life than they could have expected a decade ago. Under Theresa May, our education system will go from strength to strength.”